In California, as long as a voter’s ballot is postmarked on or before Election Day — and received by the county elections office within a week of Election Day — it still counts.
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But election officials are encouraging voters who wish to drop their ballots in the mail to do so sooner rather than later because of , which show the location and date.
Late last year, the Postal Service adopted new rules to “modernize (its) transportation network and optimize (its) transportation operations.” That means, the Postal Service said, that it will become more common that mail will not arrive at processing facilities, where they receive postmarks, on the same day they were accepted.
Voters who drop their ballots off at the post office on Tuesday, June 2, Election Day, may not get a postmark that very day. If that’s the case, ballots with later postmarks would not be counted.
For those who do mail their ballots, the California secretary of state’s office and the Postal Service recommend voters ask for a manual postmark from an employee at the Post Office. Manual postmarks are free of charge, .
Further, Secretary of State Shirley Weber has suggested voters mail their ballots in advance of June 2.
In response to concerns about how the new rules would impact mailed ballots, the Postal Service noted it is not involved in administering elections.
“While the Proposed Rule contains information of potential relevance to election officials and to citizens who choose to vote by mail, the Postal Service does not administer elections, establish the rules or deadlines that govern elections, or determine whether or how election jurisdictions utilize the mail or incorporate our postmark into their rules,” the federal agency said on its website.
“The Postal Service also does not advocate for or against any particular voting practices (including mail-in voting). Instead, the Postal Service collects, processes, transports, and delivers mail and packages that are mailable under federal law. As part of that role, we deliver the nation’s Election Mail when public policy makers and election officials choose to use the mail as a part of their election system and when citizens choose to utilize our services to participate in an election.”
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A study from Brookings Institution, a nonpartisan research institution, found 25% of ZIP codes in the country are considered “low-risk” for delayed postmarking, while nearly 22% are considered “high-risk” for delayed processing. California, the study found, has very few high-risk ZIP codes.
California voters, though, do have multiple ways to cast a ballot other than mailing it.
Voters can place their ballot in drop boxes or at their county elections office.
Voters in Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties can also visit vote centers — many of which opened over the weekend — to cast the ballot mailed to them, obtain a replacement ballot or one in a preferred language, or receive any other election-related assistance.
Find the nearest early voting spot by visiting the California secretary of state’s website, caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov.
Voters can also track their ballot with the California secretary of state’s “Where’s My Ballot” tool. Found at california.ballottrax.net, voters input their name, date of birth and ZIP code to register for the service. It will relay the status of the ballot, and voters can sign up to receive information about its process via email, text message or call.
California law also allows voters to take up to two hours off work, without a loss of pay, to vote if they would be unable to do so during non-work hours.
“California makes voting accessible for eligible voters,” Weber said. “No matter how busy your work schedule is, you have the right as a voter to cast your ballot on June 2.”
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Polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on June 2.